In testing blood or other fluid samples for medical evaluation and diagnosis, a rapid and simple assay is usually needed by medical professionals. Over the years, various devices and methods have been developed for assaying analytes in specimens of biological origin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,923 discloses ar apparatus containing a test tube with at least three chambers each containing different chemicals, including a solid sphere, and separated from each other by a water-soluble barrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,461 discloses a transverse flow diagnostic device containing absorbent mears associated with the peripheral zone of a filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,231 discloses a self-contained reagent package device containing a plurality of wells in the support member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,333 discloses a personal, disposable hand held diagnostic kit having specimen support member. The specimen support member carries a plurality of receptacles for containing liquid materials. The receptacles are later cut in sequence to release the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,159 discloses an automatic chemical analyzer including a turntable rotated intermittently at a constant pitch and holding a number of reaction vessels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,453 discloses a device for conducting an immunoassay containing a means in the housing for introducing a sample into the device and a self-contained liquid reagent in a breakable container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,421 discloses a disposable antigen concentrator and detector containing a reagent storage chamber connected to the reaction chamber through a valve means which allows fluid flow from the reagent chamber to the reaction chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,419 discloses an apparatus for immunoassay of multiple samples of biological fluids containing a frame having plural test vessels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,025 discloses a self-contained immunoassay element including a capillary containing a fixed reagent in fluid communication with reagent reservoirs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,502 discloses a device containing a molded, flexible blister having an open side and a structure for rupturing the blister closure ir response to relative motion between the blister and test specimen support members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,786 discloses a multiple port assay device containing a housing means for capturing a first member of a specific binding pair in a zone and for allowing liquid to be transported by capillary action away from the zone.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,978,504 and 5,078,968 disclose a specimen test unit containing a specimen collecting swab and a reagent-containing ampoule in cylindrical housing which can be bent or squeezed or otherwise deformed to fracture a reagent-containing ampoule.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,808 discloses a liquid reagent in a breakable container utilized for the determination of an analyte in a sample, and liiquid reagents in a container which pass into a second container when a seal is ruptured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,780 discloses an apparatus for the detection of analytes containing a liquid medium restrained from a sample absorbing nib by a frangible barrier which is broken allowing the nib to drop into the liquid medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,237 discloses an analytical reaction cassette for performing sequential analytical assays by noncentrifugal and noncapillary manipulations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,238 discloses a test carrier for the analysis of a sample liquid containing a sample application zone, a covering mesh, an erythrocyte separation layer, two reagent layers and a liquid transport layer made of an absorbent material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,318 discloses an automatic analyzer for performing immunoassays containing a sample carrying rotary disk supporting rotation of a plurality of sample cups for containing a sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,789 discloses a self-contained solid phase immunodiffusion assay containing a tube having a sample collector and compartmentalized reagents separated by seals which can be broken through pressure on the sample collector, mixed with reagent, and pushed into a ligand receptor reaction area.
There still remains a need in the art for a self-contained, inexpensive, disposable assay device for detecting an analyte member of a specific binding pair. More specifically, there is a need for an assay device that can be used easily and effectively by untrained personnel, preferably without the need for complex additional instruments to complete the detection of analyte. The present invention provides such an economical, compact, easy to operate and self-contained assay device for detecting an analyte in a sample, such as a biological sample, which meets the requirements.